, 1887-04-03

ALDACE T. WALKER
W. L. BRAGG. -scHooNMAKEB-
Thomas NJ. Cooley was born in Attica, N.
Y, Jan. 6, 1894, and after acquiring q fair
education studied law at Palmyra, and re-
moved to Michigan, where he served as dep
uty clerk and register in chancery. In 1857
he was chosen by the legislature to compile
the laws of Michigan, and did the work with
such ability that he was Immediately after
named to organize the law department of the
state university at Ann Arbor. He was the
first professor appointed to deliver lectures on
law in that department, and also served as
reporter of the supreme court. In 1854 he
was elected justice of the supreme court of
Michigan, a place he filed for twenty -one
years with marked ability. His work
entitled, Constitutional Limitations of
Legislative Powers in tho States" ranks
among the great American legal classics. In
1886, Judge Gresham, of the United States
circuit court for tho circuit including Indiana,
appointed him receiver of the Wabash Rail-
way company, and he was engaged in that
work when named Us commissioner His mp
pointment as receiver was regarded as the
best that could have been made, and his
present appointment gives equal satisfaction.
He is a man of austere morals, strictly tenn
perate, an indefatigable worker and in poll
tics n Republican.
William r. Morrison's career as a lead
ing Democratic congressman Is too recent
and well known to require detail. He was
born in Monroe county, Illinois, Sept. IA,
1895; graduated at McKendell college in that
state, entered soon after on the practice of
law and served four terms In the Illinois legis-
lature. He has served eight terms In the
national house Of representatives. He and
Judge Cooley are therefore men of national
reputation and the most widely known men,
bers OF the commission.
Augustus Sckoonmaker has SO far ouly q
state reputation, but in New York he ranks
high us lawyer, legislator and judge. He was
born March 2, 1928, in Kingston, N. Y; OBJ
tanned only a good, common school education,
and was admitted to the bar in 1858. Ten
years after he was elected judge Of the court
for Ulster county and filed that place eight
years. In 1875 he was elected to the state
senate us a Democrat, and in 1877 was chosen
attorney general over Lyman Tremaine by a
majority of II ,541. In 1879 lie was defeated
for the same Office by Hamilton Ward. He
has taken a rather active part in politics and
served us delegate TO three national Demo-
cratic conventions.
Aldace T. Walker is a native of Vermont,
and is a. years old. In 1861 he entered the
army rs n lieutenant and rose to be lieu
tenant colonel He then studied law in
the office of Judge Edmunds, now senator
from that state, and after practicing
a few years in New York city, returned to
Rutland, Vermont, where he resides. He
has won a very high reputation as n railroad
lawyer, and is the author of the ermon
railroad commission bill, adopted in 1886. He
is an active and enthusiastic Republican, and
his appointment is said to be offensive 10 the
Democratic leaders of his state, who allege
That he was chosen at the instance OF Senator
Edmunds.
Gen. Walter l.. Bragg Is the only southern
member OF the commission. lie was born in
Alabama in 1888. but resides in Arkansas
from 1S43 TO 1851. He was educated at Har-
ward university and Cambridge Law school;
and after the war settled in Alabama in the
practice Of the law In 1881 he was made
president Of the Alabama state railroad COM
mission, and during his four years in tina.
Office adjusted many questions concerning the
power of tho state and the rights of railroads,
his decisions giving great satisfaction to the
people, but not to the companies. He was
one Of the first spoken OF as a member Of the
national commission, and a powerful fight
was made against his appointment; but
President Cleveland made a careful examinn-
ton OF bis work In Alabama and pronounced
him eminently qualified for the place.